New GMAT Integrated Reasoning

What is Integrated Reasoning?

The GMAT Integrated Reasoning section is a new section on the GMAT, and will be introduced on June 5th, 2012. Instead of making test takers suffer even longer, GMAC, the writers of the GMAT, have decided to replace one of the essays with the Integrated Reasoning section.

As the section implies there is a fair amount of reasoning involved – most will be quant-based, though there will be some verbal-based reasoning as well.

What are the different parts?

Format= This type has by far the widest variety of possible ways in which the information can be presented. All information will be presented visually, in a graph or a chart. The information may be a pie chart, a bar chart, a column chart, a line graph/timeplot, a scatterplot, a bubble graph, an organizational chart, a flow chart, or a floorplan/map

= Often there will be at least a small verbal prompt accompanying the graph or chart, and sometimes a detailed verbal explanation is given.

= One part of one chart may be detailed by another chart: for example, a single column in a column graph might be shown broken down into subdivisions in a pie chart.

= All GI questions involve drop-down menus. The question prompt will be a sentence, and at some point in the sentence there will be a gap; in the gap will be a drop down menu with 3-4 choices. For example: “The hospital’s debt increased by [drop-down menu] percent in 2005″ (obviously, that particular drop-down menu would have percent values). Each GI question typically will have one or two sentence prompts, always with a total of two drop-down menus. You must get both correct to earn credit for the question, as there is no partial credit on the GMAT IR.

Most graphs display numerical information in visual form. The various graphs (pie, bar, column, line, scatterplot, and bubble) will account for more than 90% of all GI questions. Organizational charts will be rare: they typically show, in visual form, the power relationships, the pecking order, in an organization. Flowcharts will be rare: they map out, in visual form, the sequence of steps needed to accomplish some end, with alternatives specified at various decision points.

Two-part Analysis – “Select One Answer from each column to solve a problem with a two-part solution.”

Format = A sizeable prompt will outline the scenario. Any variables required will be defined in this prompt.

= The question consists of a table of the following form.

Questions are will be partially or completely related and interdependent. You will mark the answer for column #1 in the first column and the answer for column #2 in the second column (those circle are “bubble choices”). It is possible, in some scenarios, for both questions to have the same correct answer. You cannot mark more than one answer in any column. You must get both columns correct to earn credit for the question, as there is no partial credit on the GMAT IR.

The 2PA questions can be either mathematical (numerical or algebraic) or completely verbal.

The algebraic 2PA questions are quite similar to Problem Solving questions involving variables in the answer choices (VICs). The prompt will be just slightly more involved than a comparable PS prompt, and then two questions, rather than one, will be asked about that prompt.

In the numerical 2PA questions, the two numbers might be, for example, the solution values of two related variables, or two percents that satisfy some specified condition. These are also similar to PS problems with numerical answer, except two questions are asked.

Table Analysis – “Sort the table to organize the data so you can determine whether certain condition are met.”

Format = A “sortable” table of numbers — the table will have multiple columns, and you will have the ability to sort by any column, so that is shows that column in increasing or decreasing order.

= There may be verbal information, before or after the table, describing or clarifying something about the table

= Although GMAC doesn’t use the term “Multiple Dichotomous Choice” here, that’s essentially the format of all TA questions. For each TA question, there will be a prompt and then three individual questions and only two answer choices from which to select (e.g “true/false”, “improve/detract”, “make money/lose money”, etc.). The prompt can be quite wordy, delineating precise specifications. You must get answer all three prompts on the page correctly to earn credit for the question, as there is no partial credit on the GMAT IR.

This is relatively straightforward. One column of the table may be a verbal identifier (e.g. the name of each country), but the other columns will be numerical. The numbers can be numerical values of a variable, or ranks, or percentages, or percentage increase/decrease.

Multi-source reasoning – “Click on the page to reveal different data and discern which date you need to answer the question.”

Format = Split Screen

= On the left side a window with three clickable cards. These cards contain the information that will be relevant to answering the question. You can view only one card at a time.

= On the right side, the questions. You will only see one question at a time, and once you submit your answer to a question, you cannot go back. There will be two kinds of questions in the MSR section

a) ordinary five-choice Multiple Choice, exactly like the GMAT Problem-Solving questions or any of the question in the GMAT Verbal section

b) Multiple Dichotomous Choice: in a single MDC question there will be three individual questions and only two answer choices from which to select (e.g “true/false”, “improve/detract”, “make money/lose money”, etc.). In other words, for each of the three questions, you have a dichotomous choice: just two possibilities. You must answer all three correctly to get credit for this MDC question, as there is no partial credit on the IR section.

Some of these questions are intensely verbal: for example, three parts of a conversation or an email exchange. Others are more numerical: for example, one card might describe the overview of a scenario, and the other two cards will give numerical parameters informing aspects of the scenario. The card that introduces the scenario may define relevant jargon or relevant abbreviations, and then the other cards will use that jargon or those abbreviations in context. The information on the three different cards can interrelate in any one of a number of ways. Again, you will be free to click back and forth among the three cards as much as you like, but at any moment in time, you will be looking at only one of the three: you cannot view cards simultaneously.

How should I prepare?

On April 2nd, GMAC will release the 13th edition of its Official Guide. Contained within will be practice problems for the Integrated Reasoning Section. Until, then Magoosh will be offering up practice Integrated Reasoning questions on our blog (and soon, in our product as well!), so stay tuned.

About Mike McGarry

Mike creates expert lessons and practice questions to guide GMAT students to success. He has a BS in Physics and an MA in Religion, both from Harvard, and over 20 years of teaching experience specializing in math, science, and standardized exams. Mike likes smashing foosballs into orbit, and despite having no obvious cranial deficiency, he insists on rooting for the NY Mets.

Hi this is an excellent article on GMAT’s new section IR. On the official guide thing, it is already launched. For students from India taking GMAT in July the new OG has the IR section with a reading companion. It has a specially priced Indian edition which you can check out on this website http://wileyindia.com/gmat

I recently appeared for the test and scored pretty badly (450). What will you suggest me to do? Should I appear for the older format GMAT test before 5th June once again or should I wait and prepare for the newer included topics as well?

Sorry to hear about the test score :(. But don’t despair – a good tutor can work magic. Magoosh’s GMAT product is a great way to have a virtual tutor at your fingertips 24 hours a day. Regardless of which path you take, only take the test when you are ready. Don’t worry so much if that happens to be after Jun. 5th. If all your other prep is going well, learning a little more for the Integrated Reasoning shouldn’t be too difficult.

It’ll definitely be interesting – but you don’t have to wait until June to try out the Integrated Reasoning section. The 13th Edition Official Guide was just released last week. It comes with some practice questions. And to really get the flavor of Integrated Reasoning on the computer, the new GMATprep software also has some practice questions.

Hey Chris,
Do you think it’s worth taking the test prior to June 4th? It may be easier to do an essay question vs. all these new changes. In addition, I’ve heard that its quantitative that really counts, as far as points go, not so much qualitative, do you know if this is true?

I think a lot of students are torn on this issue. I think the bottom-line is definitely take the test before Jun. 4th…if you are prepared. Do not rush to take it though without the adequate preparation. Doing so will hurt you score much more than having to deal with the Integrated Reasoning section.

As for the ‘quantitative’ vs ‘qualitative’ are you referring to the essay grade vs the actual GMAT score? If so, yes – your score from 200 – 800 counts for a lot more than the essay scores.

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